Snowflake - Maxley

CHAPTER 4

I just started at the spot he stood in only seconds ago, wondering how I could fuck up that much. I looked in the direction the boy went to. He walked off to the ice rink, joining his, I assume, friends, who were already on the ice, waiting for him. I watched longingly after him, thinking about nothing in particular until coach Barry joined me on the bench where I sat.

"Hey, Uppercrust. What happened? Normally you wouldn't cancel your practice, so something must be up. What is it, champ?" I smiled at Berry. He was a good friend of Mocha, with him being only a few years older than her. He taught us everything we know about healthy practice routines. He substituted our fathers while we were at college, talking us through our first hangover, first heartbreak, first house party.

"I'm not feeling too good..." I couldn't look him in the eye. If I did, he would see right through my not-really-the-truth.

He didn't say anything for a while, the silence suffocating me. "You know you can talk to me about everything, right? I wouldn't judge you." I really wanted to tell it to someone, but I was just scared. Tank is the biggest guy on campus, and I don't think there is anybody that would save me from him.

"I know, Barry," and I left it at that. There was nothing he could do against Tank. He could only kick him out of the team, but that would resolve into more problems.

He sat there not speaking anything, sharing the silence, waiting for me to elaborate. But I didn't. I couldn't. Once he understood that I wouldn't talk, he got up and walked to the ice rink to start the practice.

Just then I saw Tank on the bottom of the stairs, looking directly at me. A chill run down my spine, making me sit straight, which resolved in pain from my bruise. Tank held my eye, not breaking eye contact, just staring directly into my soul, telling me 'if I fucked this up, I would be dead'.

I gulped, breaking a sweat. But then Berry finally started to practice, which caused Tank to break eye contact with me. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding, and got up to leave the hall. I slowly made my way towards the bottom of the stairs, but I didn't even get to the last one when I was stopped.

"Uppercrust, Just sit there and watch our practice. You can give my boys some advice on being more elegant on the ice. It won't bother you, I assume, right?" There was nothing for me to do except for accept, so I nodded and sat down at the very front.

"Oh, no no no. You're going to sit with me on the ice, so you have a better view of the players. Come, I'll get a chair for you," And he left, going into the storage room. I signed, got up, and slowly made my way onto the ice.

My balance was not too good, thus I didn't have my skates on, and the ice was slippery. I stood on the ice with my wobbly legs, holding onto the railing, trying not to fall down and make a fool of out of myself in front of the whole hockey team.

But it looked like fate didn't like me. Because I slipped. And I couldn't hold myself up because of the pain.

I closed my eyes, preparing for the hit, which never came. I slowly opened them, looking around me. Looking for that specific somebody who held me. It was him. The handsome boy from yesterday. The handsome boy I stared at for so long, that I made him uncomfortable. That guy.

"It's the second time this happened, Bradley. At this rate I might think that you are purposely falling when I'm near, just so I can rescue you," the handsome guy joked, making me blush deep red.

I want to stay in his arms forever. It felt so warm, so secure.

But my little fantasy got interrupted by a cough. Tank's cough. I quickly stood on my feet, still holding the railing, my legs more wobbly than before. "Thank you again. I really appreciate your help." I debated whether or not I should ask him for his name, thus I never got it, but Tank was looking at me. To be more precise, he was glaring at me.